With over 30k YouTube subscribers, Lydia and Alma are two fashion forward influencers with iconic self-dubbed “fairy ‘Fros”. Their dedication to personal hair health has helped them become a go-to source for natural hair advice – and they’re no strangers to hair-related questions while they’re out and about shooting content on the streets of London.
Here, the sisters talk to us about healthy hair colouring, their current hair and beauty staples, and the strangest questions they’ve been asked about their ‘Fros.
To the untrained eye, your Fros might look similar, so what are the differences in your curl patterns and hair needs?
Lydia: My hair is 4c but has super low porosity and has thinner strands.
Alma: My hair is a blend of 4c/4b, low porosity, but much thicker so it takes longer to detangle, moisturise and style. I like to use heavier sealants like shea butter, whereas Lydia’s hair does better with oils.
What’s your secret to dyeing Afro hair without risking damage?
Lydia: Honestly, there is no way to dye Afro hair without ANY damage but there are ways to reduce the level of harsh chemicals and bleaches for a lighter colour and prevent breakage and hair loss.
Alma: For us, we always test colours on a few strands of hair and see how it turns out after a week or so. We also use old school methods like hydrogen peroxide which is less intense on our hair strands and safer. This doesn’t mean it works for everyone.
Our biggest tip to prevent damage before and after any form of chemical process is to deep condition and moisturise your hair.
Do you ever get stopped on the street for hair advice? If so, what’s the strangest question you’ve had?
Lydia: All the time! Strangest question so far was a photographer asking for a photo for his “own gratification”, and then asking “how does our hair grow out of our heads like that?”. Like, we understand and welcome curiosity around our hair, but asking why your hair is the way it is, is difficult to answer because it’s simply our DNA!
You’re not just content creators; Lydia’s a musician and Alma’s a fashion designer. What’s a typical day like as two creatives in London?
Alma: We do our best to nurture all of our passions and prioritise wellness. A typical day starts with us working out, having a healthy breakfast and annoying each other before parting ways to pursue our individual professions. Lydia would typically be in a meeting, rehearsal or brainstorming whilst I’m designing, working in the studio or pattern drafting. In the evening we’d reunite, have dinner and plan what’s next for us as we have so many aspirations for our brand!
Lydia: London is a beautiful place to be creative and we love a great party, so we often find ourselves at gigs, networking events and socialising.
How did you get into content creation?
Lydia: We got asked a lot of hair advice when people would see us out with our ‘fros on the street and decided to make a YouTube video giving our top 10 tips. We had no plans to make it a long-term thing but the first video went viral within three weeks and we gained 10k subscribers in three months.
Alma: What was nice is we got tons of comments saying we were the first Youtubers that shared real advice for those with 4c hair with proven results. That’s when we realised we actually had a platform with impact that’s worth pursuing.
What’s a common misconception that people have about you as content creators?
Alma: That we don’t have a life outside of hair! Hair is a huge part of our identity, but we feel it’s one of the least interesting things about us. For example, we did backing vocals for Glastonbury Festival this year, wrote a vegan lifestyle e-book, can both paint and draw and have a passion for 70s aesthetics. We understand being part of the natural hair community, hair can sometimes be the only thing people are interested in.
You’re originally from the States. Have you noticed any differences in the UK hair community compared to the USA?
Lydia: In the states, to maintain a connection with the natural hair community, you have to attend a lot of events and be community orientated. There’s also a heavier entrepreneurial culture around influencers starting their own brands or collaborating with other brands.
Alma: The UK has great accessibility to natural hair products in various shops and retail chains but we’d like to see more growth in natural hair events around music, fashion and art.
Which hair and beauty products are currently staples on your bathroom shelf?
Lydia: We have made our own hair products for the past seven years which are major staples for us. This includes our homemade Fenugreek water, whipped shea butter and hair oil.
Alma: Camille Rose has been a favourite of ours lately, and independent brand Nomadic Hair Care has amazing hair oils and deep conditioners that we use regularly.
As sisters who work together, do you ever disagree on important business decisions?
Lydia: We tend to have a lot of in-depth conversations and are constantly adapting our plans for the future and are naturally in sync most of the time, so when it comes to business decisions, we may debate them but rarely disagree.
Alma: What we disagree on passionately is what to caption an IG reel!
When you’re not getting snapped on the city streets, what do you enjoy doing together as family?
Lydia: We love cooking and eating dinner together. We love road trips, dance challenges, and supporting each other’s creative endeavours.
Sum up your aesthetic in three words!
Both: Rockstars, ethereal, chic!
